BA was always a cut above the US operators (TW/PA back then) even 25-30 years ago. I flew with all three carriers in my teens when I first went to the States and none were bad but BA lead the way in both service and product.
On a BA flight from SEA to LHR in 1986 I asked to see the flight deck and not only was I allowed to but the Captain then invited me back for the landing. This was absolutely mind-blowing and a big contributing factor to why I ended up studying and working in aviation.